Asked by: Gerald Howarth (Conservative - Aldershot)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of students enrolled at (a) sixth form colleges and (b) school and academy sixth forms in December 2016 were eligible for free school meals at the age of 15.
Answered by Edward Timpson
Eleven per cent of academic aged 16-18 year olds who studied their highest qualification in 2014/15 at a sixth form college, were eligible for free school meals at academic age 15. The equivalent figure for school and academy sixth forms was ten per cent. Data for December 2016 is unavailable.
Note: This proportion is based on those where the FSM status at 15 is known.
Source: Department for Education’s Young Person’s Matched Administrative Dataset.
Asked by: Gerald Howarth (Conservative - Aldershot)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average GCSE score is of students currently enrolled at (a) sixth form colleges and (b) school and academy sixth forms in England.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The requested information for pupils at the end of Key Stage 5 in the academic year 2014/15 is given in the following table:
Average GCSE Attainment[1],[2] of pupils at the end of key stage 5 in 2015 by school type | |||
School type | Number of eligible pupils[3] | Average capped[4] GCSE and equivalents point score per pupil | Percentage of students achieving 5A*-C in English and mathematics GCSEs including equivalents |
Sixth form colleges | 64,579 | 381.2 | 81.7 |
All state-funded schools[5] | 181,223 | 390.8 | 84.1 |
Source 16-18 attainment data
[1]In 2013/14, two major reforms were implemented which affect the calculation of key stage 4 performance measures data: 1) Professor Alison Wolf’s Review of Vocational Education recommendations which: restrict the qualifications counted; prevent any qualification from counting as larger than one GCSE; and cap the number of non-GCSEs included in performance measures at two per pupil, and 2) an early entry policy to only count a pupil’s first attempt at a qualification, in subjects counted in the English Baccalaureate. Consequently, the numbers supplied prior to 2013/14 are not comparable with those from 2013/14 onwards.
[2] In 2014/15, early entry policy, under which only a pupil’s first attempt at a qualification is counted in performance measures, was extended to all subjects.
[3] Covers students at the end of advanced level study who were entered for at least one substantial advanced level academic or vocational qualification in the 2014/15 academic year: substantial advanced level academic or vocational qualifications are defined as qualifications that are at least the size of an A level (180 guided learning hours per year), such as a BTEC subsidiary diploma level 3. If a vocational or academic qualification is similar in size to 2 A levels it will be counted as 2 substantial level 3 qualifications. In order to be included in this table, pupils also needed a valid end of key stage 4 record, therefore the number of eligible pupils is lower than that published in the key stage 5 SFR.
[4] Average capped point scores are calculated using the best 8 GCSE or equivalent results.
[5] Includes school and academy sixth-forms
Asked by: Gerald Howarth (Conservative - Aldershot)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance she has given to Ofsted on (a) respecting the religious ethos of faith schools and the legal framewirk governing them, (b) exemptions for faith schools under the Equality Act 2010 and (c) the requirements of the law governing assemblies and religious education.
Answered by Edward Timpson
It is for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools to determine what advice or guidance inspectors need to inspect particular matters, drawing on relevant guidance that has been issued to schools by the Department for Education and on statutory requirements.
Asked by: Gerald Howarth (Conservative - Aldershot)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance she has given to Ofsted about age-appropriate questioning of pupils regarding sexuality and transsexualism during inspections.
Answered by David Laws
No guidance has been given by the Department for Education on this matter as the issuing of guidance to Ofsted inspectors is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw.
Asked by: Gerald Howarth (Conservative - Aldershot)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will investigate reports by parents of pupils at Grindon Hall Christian School and Durham Free School that complaints to Ofsted about age-inappropriate and religiously hostile questioning of their children by inspectors were not investigated.
Answered by David Laws
Any complaints about the conduct of Ofsted inspectors are a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector. I understand that Ofsted is investigating matters raised by the schools and by some parents and will respond to these in due course.
Asked by: Gerald Howarth (Conservative - Aldershot)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy that VAT should be applied to sixth form colleges in the same terms as mainstream schools with sixth forms.
Answered by David Laws
Ministers have said publicly (since December 2013) that they are sympathetic to sixth form colleges' requests for assistance towards their VAT costs, but that it is not affordable to provide this in financial years 2014-15 or 2015-16.